To get Derrick Pouliot out of Pittsburgh, Jim Benning had to throw in a fourth-round draft pick.

And at the time, many Canucks fans wondered if it was worth it.

Wasn’t Andrey Pedan enough?

Why does this team keep trading away its draft picks?

Well, a couple of months later and that pick doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore. Pouliot has been making his new general manager look pretty smart for pulling off that swap with the two-time defending champs. In 15 games for Vancouver, the 23-year-old defenceman has five assists to go with 24 shots. He’s been competitive and creative. And save for a few giveaways, he’s been solid defensively.

“He was the eighth overall pick in the draft,” Benning told The Athletic in October, just days after Pouliot was acquired. “He comes from a high pedigree.”

Despite that pedigree, there were plenty of skeptics. Pouliot may have been picked eighth...